Archive for the ‘Food For Thought’ Category

Do you remember the Toronto blackout back in August 2003? I’ll never forget the peace and quiet that evening.

The subway wasn’t working and my aunt walked all the way from downtown to our house. Fortunately, we have a gas stove so we were able to cook a light dinner and then gave her a lift to the TTC lot, north of us, where her car was parked.

While it’s rare these days to lose power for any length of time, not everyone is so lucky. Is there one thing you could do today to honour the earth and save a bit of energy, food or water? We forget sometimes that these things are crucial to our survival – so it’s a great day to remind ourselves that there is no endless supply of clean air or water.

There are creepy, scary clowns and there are happy, fun clowns. But few are as famous as Toronto’s beloved Doo Doo the Clown. Kids know him from the Daniel Cooke Show on Treehouse TV while adults may have seen him on Jay Leno or in the movie Billy Madisonwith Adam Sandler. “I sing in the movie… and there isn’t a show that I do that someone doesn’t know that song,” says Doo Doo (aka Shane Farberman).

So, when Halloween rolls around, what does someone who dresses up for a living do?“I go as myself,” says the father of three. Behind the nose, it’s all about family, and for the last 20 years that means hosting an unbelievable show masquerading as a house party. “Halloween was big when they were kids. It’s always an exciting time to let the kids enjoy.” Beat boxes, stilt walkers and loads of candy greet his trick-or-treaters – just don’t expect to see Doo Doo. “I’m in costume, year round. It’s what I do.” Certainly, this hard-working clown has earned a night off.

And once the party is over and All Hallows’ Eve has come and gone, it never fails, there’s one old joke that people never seem to tire of – someone will see him in costume and yell out: “Halloween’s over buddy!”

All laughter aside, it’s serious business running Farco Entertainment for the last 35 years. After a video of him rescuing two women being attacked in downtown Toronto went viral three years ago, Doo Doo found himself fielding calls for interviews from around the globe and was hailed as our hometown hero.

These days, he’s got all kinds of acts lined up for near and far, and a team of performers to share the stage with. From parties to store openings and promotions – Doo Doo does them all. Plus, you can catch his show at events and fairs like the upcoming Woodbridge Fall Fair, Camp Spooky at Canada’s Wonderland, and the Royal Winter Fair. For this clown, he’s just doing what he loves:

After the long weekend, my watch broke down. Not sure if the battery went or the mechanism died but it was a cheap watch and deemed not worth fixing.

Turns out none of my spare watches were working either… dead battery or some other unknown issue. So here I had to face the week without a timepiece. At first, it seemed awkward – I’d catch myself looking at my naked wrist with no watch to keep time. For someone who prides themselves on being prompt – I felt lost. As the days passed, it was strangely liberating… I was freed from the prison of time.

For those modern types, who are always tethered to a phone or computer, there’s a clear and prominently featured record of the time marking your every minute or second depending upon the chosen display. My need to know the correct time was easily filled by these ever-present digital reminders.

In a throwback to a civilized age, I must confess that I had already made it a habit not to wear a watch at all. Mind you, this was only the case on weekends and other social occasions, where one doesn’t want to be rudely glancing at the time throughout the day. In fact, I find it’s quite a luxury to be able to simply have the freedom to enjoy passing the time. Try it sometime and break free. Liberate yourself and leave the schedule behind. At this rate, I may never get another watch. Ah, to be a lady of leisure…

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Are you in the grove? For some, today is a day filled with the infinite energy of abundance, which comes from the energetic value of eight. It’s the eighth day of the eighth month times two, or double infinity.

Knowing this, how will you spend the day? Will you use this positive energy to create something for the greater good? Will you reach out to friends and loved ones? Or would you prefer to help someone in need? Does this resonate with you? There is always so much to learn and think about when it comes to these esoteric ideas.

It’s a rare year when Easter and Passover are celebrated on the same weekend. But it’s nice to think that as we usher in spring after a long, cold winter that families will be getting together and if they’re lucky – eating some good-quality, fair trade, organic dark chocolate! Where ever you find yourself this weekend, have a lovely holiday.

It’s always a great day when someone shares their happy health stories with me. Sometimes the conversation will start with food or a health tip. Then the person will continue to detail how they’ve gone vegetarian or vegan, and list the benefits they’ve experienced or ask how to share this info with family and friends.

I love watching films so, I’m often surprised when I mention many of the great documentaries I’ve seen that many people haven’t heard of them. Since people seem to love top 10 lists, I thought I’d compile a list of great health resources.

Happy viewing! I’d love to hear if you have a favourite film to share.

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It’s here! Yes, it took me another year to complete but the paperback version of My Father’s Nose has just been released on CreateSpace.com. It should be widely available on Amazon.ca by the end of the week.

Thanks to everyone for their encouraging words with this ongoing endeavour. It’s certainly been a labour of love – as all creative projects are – with the added bonus of learning new computer programs. Fingers crossed, the next book won’t take as long!

Happy Birthday Dad – didn’t think I’d get it together on time, but here it is. Hope all is well with you in the great beyond.

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We participate in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, which earns fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. Our participation does not influence our content decisions but helps to offset the costs involved in maintaining this website.

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